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Are you a voracious reader? Or do you read occasionally? Like maybe when you go on vacation or are waiting in a long line? I like to read, but I am a slow reader. Mostly because I read in bed at night and usually only get through a couple of pages before I fall asleep! But I did do some reading this summer (in between Netflix binges). Here are my Four Must-Read Novels of Summer 2017.

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This is the story of Nettie Gilbert, a talented pianist and great student in her senior year at a small all-girls college in South Carolina. She’s engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Brooks, who is back home in Alabama. Until….she receives a wedding invitation to her sister’s wedding and finds that the groom to be is her fiancé, Brooks!!!

It turns out her sister is pregnant and Nettie is expected, in true Southern fashion to attend the wedding, mind her manners and let bygones be bygones. She isn’t having it and promptly quits school, writes off her family and seeks employment so that she can support herself.

She finds a job several hundred miles away as a live-in caretaker to two elderly, “ old-maid” sisters who have their own secrets and history.

Why I liked it: As the story unravels there are lots unexpected twists. You already know Nettie’s story, but throughout the book, little bits & pieces of the sisters’ story are also revealed. I was reminded how petty jealousy and the acts that it produces can lead to a lifetime of hurt and estrangement. On the upside – there is romance with a handsome doctor and the ending is quite uplifting.

If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult and her way of telling a story that highlights the moral dilemmas we face, you’ll like Small Great Things. This is the story of Ruth, a labor and delivery nurse and a large metropolitan hospital. After a routine check of a newborn and his mother, she learns that she is no longer allowed to treat those particular patients. Why? Because she is African American and the parents of the baby are white supremacists. The father has specifically requested that Ruth not be allowed to touch either his wife or his son. Later that day, the baby dies and Ruth is charged with murder.

I read this book in early June and while I have always thought that Jodi Picoult is a great story teller, I thought her description of the whole white supremacy and racism thing was a little over the top…until Charleston. Oh, my goodness – she hit the nail right on the head.

Why I liked it: Picoult’s story offers a deep look at the white supremacy movement, what fuels them and how they operate. It is a world that I didn’t have a clue about! You also see how hard it can be to actually get justice in the criminal justice system and people’s resistance to discussing race – even when racism is so obvious. They are making this book into a movie! Read the book first.

Do you like TRUE stories told in an engaging fashion? Then you’ll like these next two books.

Set in 1939, 12-year-old Rill Foster and her siblings are kidnapped from the shanty boat where they lived with their parents and placed in an orphanage. The Tennessee “orphanage” is a place ruled by an unscrupulous and cruel director and is actually a front for the business of kidnapping children and selling them to wealthy couples. What we would call human trafficking today. This is the story of how Rill fights hard to keep her siblings safe and together.

The present-day parallel story involves Avery, a federal prosecutor who was born into wealth and privilege. When she comes home to help her father through a health crisis, she discovers things in her family history that could devastate everyone involved.

Why I liked it: I have to tell you, it was heart-wrenching to read at times because it’s based on the real-life scandal of Georgia Tann, the director of a Memphis-based “adoption” home who kidnapped and sold children to wealthy families from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Y’all, I was born in the 1950’s! This is not something that happened so very long ago! And it is certainly a page-turner as you are always wondering how Rill will keep her family together and how it would some way be connected to Avery’s story.

This is a true story of Pino Lella, who becomes part of the Italian resistance during World War II. Although he HATES the Nazis, his parents urge him to join the German military to keep him safe from the Nazis. He ultimately becomes the driver for one of the most powerful Nazi commanders, General Hans Leyers, putting him in a strategic position to help the Italian resistance.

Why I liked it: I’ve read a lot of novels set during World War II, but none of them centered around what was going on in Italy and what the Italians endured. Seeing how the Italian resistance operated was so interesting. And the bravery of Pino and so many others is inspiring. The novel ends at the end of World War II, but there is an epilogue where Sullivan tells you what happened to these real people after the war. This one is going to be made into a movie too!

There you have it! My Four Must-Read Novels of Summer 2017. What are you reading?

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission. I so appreciate every click-through and purchase! Every little bit helps to keep My Side of 50 up and running!

I used to be an avid reader, so much so that my husband used to tell me “you always have your nose in a book.” I don’t remember that being a compliment at the time. But since the evolution of cable tv and streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, I seem to find it much easier to get wrapped up in TV show than to open a book. And I don’t necessarily think that is always a good thing for me.. you know, “balance” and all….

So, in 2017, I am vowing to read more books. I’m doing this by reading a chapter of SOMETHING every morning before I start my day. Which isn’t a stretch. I like to wake up s-l-o-w-l-y….with lots of coffee, usually while checking my social media feeds. And during the recent election season, that was definitely NOT a healthy way to start the day!!!! So I now start my day with lots of coffee and reading a book. A much better way to ease into the day.

Book Review: My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year is classified as Kluger’s first foray into young adult fiction. And while the main characters are high school students, I didn’t find the story at all juvenile.

The main characters are Boston teenagers TC and Augie, best friends who have classified themselves as brothers since they were six. Enter Ale, a beautiful girl who TC falls hard for. She has just moved to Boston from Washington, DC where her father served as a Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.

Each of the main characters has a part in telling the story that takes them all the way through high school. And Kluger brilliantly uses their instant messages, emails, theater reviews and letters, along with a traditional narrative to sweep the reader into their lives.

Much of the book is a traditional coming of age story: falling in love for the first time, coming to terms with your sexuality, coping with the loss of a parent and fully giving yourself to someone else. You’ll learn a little about the Internment of Japanese Americans during WWII and a LOT about musical theater and baseball history! See, Kluger sticks to his themes!

I loved every minute of reading this book! It was positive, clean (although I don’t mind reading the occasional sex scene in novel) and endearing.

Do you have Amazon Prime? I think it’s the best deal around. For $99/year you get so much. A few of my favorites are:

Free 2-day shipping on most items ordered on Amazon. I do so much online shopping through Amazon, that I get reimbursed for that $99 through this feature alone!

Prime Photos – Unlimited photo storage for you and 5 others.

Amazon Household – Allows 2 adults and up to 4 children to share the best of Amazon Prime. We share our benefits with one of our daughters and her family.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission. I so appreciate every click-through and purchase! Every little bit helps to keep My Side of 50 up and running!

But my favorite Amazon Prime feature is their live streaming of TV shows and movies. In recent years Amazon has started producing their own original shows and they are outstanding. Here are my recommendations for shows on Amazon Prime that you DON’T want to miss!

13 Not To Be Missed Shows on Amazon Prime (Now Called Prime Video)

Amazon Prime #1 – Goliath

Goliath stars Billy Bob Thornton who is so fabulous in this role as an alcoholic, down and out, former high-powered defense attorney named Billy McBride. He gets talked into pursuing a wrongful death suit against a large munitions company represented by the mammoth law firm he helped create. Lots of twists and turns in this series, which also stars William Hurt as Donald Cooperman. Cooperman, who was formerly Billy’s partner, is now the creepy, controlling, kind of crazy managing partner of the firm who wants to beat Billy at all costs.

Amazon Prime #2 – The Man In The High Castle

This series is set in 1962 and is based on Philip Dick’s book by the same name. Classified as alternative history, viewers are taken into a world where the Axis powers won World War II. The former US is now ruled on the East Coast by Nazi Germany and on the West Coast by the Japanese with a small neutral zone in the middle. My favorite character is Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith played by Rufus Sewell. Smith is the highest ranking Nazi in the U.S. and from the flashbacks, you get the impression that he was a U. S. Army officer during the war. On one hand, he is ruthless in maintaining order and squashing members of the resistance. But he has a soft side as a family man. John Smith, the family man, will do anything to protect his family including trying to hide his son who is in danger of being killed by Nazi doctors because of a medical “defect”. It’s all about preserving the “master race”, you know…

Amazon Prime #3 – Good Girls Revolt

Good Girls Revolt is set in 1969 at a “Newsweek” type magazine called “News of the Week”. The series centers around issues that prompted the women’s movement in the 1960’s. Men were the reporters and all stories appeared under the man’s by-line. The women were relegated to being fact checkers and researchers. Although many times, the women were the ones who did most of the writing of a story, they got none of the credit and only a fraction of the pay. So they take their fight to an ACLU Lawyer. As the season ends, these women are giving a press conference announcing their lawsuit against News of the Week on the same day the magazine’s cover story is on the women’s movement. Other issues of the 1960’s are highlighted as well. The sexual freedom brought on by the Pill. Women who can’t conduct the regular business of life, such as signing a lease without their Vietnam-deployed husband’s signature. The plight of returning Vietnam veterans. Those who lived through these times will experience a sense of déjà vu while watching the show. Sadly, Amazon cancelled this great series after the first season. Watch it anyway. It’s a good story and some of the men (Chris Diamantopoulos and Hunter Parrish (Silas in “Weeds”) are easy on the eyes!

Amazon Prime #4 – One Mississippi

One Mississippi is a semi-autobiographical, dark comedy based on the life of comedian Tig Notaro. Tig is an LA radio personality who has breast cancer and C. Diff. She has just been through a double mastectomy when she learns that her mother is about to be taken off life support after suffering a fall. Really sounds like a comedy doesn’t it? I said it was dark. Tig returns home to Bay St. Lucille, MS to deal with her mother’s death and it’s aftermath. Old family issues and pain, her mother’s secrets, what to do with her “stuff”. This show is funny and raw all at the same time. What makes it so endearing is that what Tig goes through is exactly the same things that most women in midlife go through in one way or another. You’ll see yourself and your family in this show. Amazon has picked up for a full season and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Amazon Prime #5 – Mozart In The Jungle

Mozart in the Jungle is a comedy inspired by Blair Tindall’s memoir “Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music”. The story centers around a young aspiring oboist, Hailey Rutledge, Rodrigo, the new, eccentric, charismatic conductor and a cast of orchestra members. The prima donna who has been in the orchestra forever. The union rep who makes sure breaks are given at the right time. The conductor emeritus played brilliantly by Malcolm MacDowell who is still trying to be relevant. The President of the orchestra played by the always charming Bernadette Peters who is trying to secure funding and maintain subscribers to keep it all afloat. I really liked Season 1 much better than Season 2. But I still think it’s a great show.

Amazon Prime #5 – Mr. Church

After I binged watched all of these series in a little over a month, I was scrolling through trying to find something else to watch and came across a movie starring Eddie Murphy called Mr. Church. I will date myself and tell you that all I remember of Eddie Murphy is that he was a hilarious cast member of Saturday Night Live in the 80’s. I still laugh when I remember his portrayals of Buckwheat from Little Rascals, Gumby and Mr. “Robinson” (a parody of Mr. Rogers). In Mr. Church, he plays the cook who is hired to care for a single mother who is dying of cancer and her young daughter. He committed to 6 months (the amount of time the mother was given to live) but ends up being with this family for 15 years. This is a beautiful story and Murphy’s performance is tender and poignant. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this movie and was able to experience Eddie Murphy’s great range through his performance.

Amazon Prime #7 – Home Fires

I seem to love British TV and especially shows that were featured on PBS’ Masterpiece. Home Fires is about a group of women living in a small rural village in England during WWII. These women lived under extraordinary pressure as they faced separation from their husbands and sons for years at a time, and lived through air raids, rationing and the constant fear of learning their loved ones would not be returing. You will inspired as you see these women rise to the occasion and contribute to the war effort in ways that would have been unthought of at the time, had it not been a necessisty.

Amazon Prime #8 – The Big Sick

This is a true life comedy based on a situation that could have been really tragic. Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani falls in love with Amerian grad student Emily Gordon. Their courtship has its ups and downs and things really gets complicated with Emily comes down with a mysterious life-threatening illness. The culture clash between families is heart-breaking, yet not without humor. Also stars Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as Emily’s parents. They are fabulous.

Shows you may have missed the first time around:

Downton Abbey

The Good Wife

Covert Affairs

Blue Bloods

VEEP

Are you an Amazon Prime member? If not, join! For the same price as Netflix, you have access to some great shows!

Superbowl 2017 will be held in my hometown – Houston, Texas. Even though the Texans lost in the playoffs and WON’T be going to the Superbowl, we always enjoy the game with friends. And what’s a Superbowl Party without a special Superbowl Snack? That’s where my Cajun Cheeseball comes in.

The recipe for my Cajun Cheeseball came from a friend many years ago. It’s a little spicy and tastes great with Ritz crackers and a cold Lone Star beer. When I serve it, it is usually DEVOURED in a short amount of time!

The best part is that it can be made ahead and frozen. No standing over the stove or preparing food once your guests arrive! Give it a try!

Are most of your favorite network tv shows on hiatus for the summer? Never fear – there are plenty of good shows to watch on Netflix. In fact, here are the 5 best shows to watch on Netflix (in my opinion).

Updated June 2017 – 11 Best Shows To Watch On Netflix.

This post contains affiliate links to products for your convenience. If you purchase a product through one of my links, I receive a small commission that helps defray the costs associated with running a blog at no extra cost to you.

Narcos

Narcos is the story DEA agents who are pursuing notorious drug Kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) in 1970’s & 80’s Columbia. Cocaine has become the drug of choice in the US and no matter what DEA Agents Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) & Pena (Pedro Pascal) do, Escobar’s empire keeps growing. Another great period piece with well-developed characters and addicting storyline.

Bloodline

Bloodline is a family drama starring hunky Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) as Det. John Rayburn. Rayburn is one of four siblings in a prominent family in this small Florida Keys town. Things are going along just fine until his black sheep brother, played by Ben Mendelsohn comes back, dredging up hidden family secrets and wreaking havoc in the lives of the Rayburn siblings. Also starring Cissy Spacek and Sam Shepard as the matriarch and patriarch of this dysfunctional family.

June 2017 Update – The final season just aired. Very dark. A couple of murders, drug trafficking, and the dark side of some “squeaky clean” characters.

Flaked

Flaked is a quirky dramedy starring Will Arnett (Arrested Development) set it Venice, California. It’s the story of Chip, a recovering alcoholic, and his friends in this surfer-type town who wrestle with their pasts, romantic triangles, and recovery. I found this series both funny and endearing.

June 2017 Update – As the season opens, Chip’s life is a mess. He is homeless and has lost a lot of friends. As he tries to get his act together, it’s two steps forward, one step back. And even when he’s bad, you can’t help but root for him!

Fundamentals of Caring

Fundamentals of Caringis a movie, not a series starring Paul Rudd as Ben. After a series of losses, Ben takes the job as a caregiver to 18-year-old Trevor who is confined to a wheelchair with Muscular Dystrophy. To broaden Trevor’s horizons, Ben takes him on a road trip, where they both grow, wrestle with their painful pasts and come home with a new sense of bravery and purpose.

House of Cards

House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright is one of the best political dramas to come out in a long time. In the first season, we see Congressman Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire as a political power couple. The goal – the White House and ultimate power. Affairs, murder, and political intrigue that hauntingly resembles current events make this show a binge watcher for sure. Don’t start watching House of Cards if you want to get anything else done!

The Great British Baking Show

I like watching cooking shows more than I actually like cooking. The Great British BakingShow features amateur bakers from all over Great Britain. Each week, the bakers compete in 3 challenges designed to show their knowledge and skill of all kinds of baking. Not only should their “bakes” taste good, but they must also LOOK good. Judge Mary, who you will know if you watched The Great American BakingShow, is also a judge on this show. She is a tough cookie (pardon the pun) but is also kind, polite and charmingly British in her comments to the bakers, which I find refreshing.

Rectify

Rectify starring Aden Young is about Daniel Holden, who has spent 19 years on death row for the rape and murder of his girlfriend. When DNA evidence calls his conviction into question, he is released from prison and goes home to a family he barely knows. A lot has happened since he went to prison as a teenager. His father died. His mother remarried and had another child. The world has changed and moves a lot faster. Young’s performance perfectly captures a man who had his “coming of age” in prison and doesn’t know where he fits into a world where he is free.

Grace and Frankie

Grace and Frankie (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) are as different as night and day. When their law partner husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) reveal their 20-year affair, both couples divorce and Grace and Frankie end up living together. Despite their differences, their shared pain throws them into a remarkable friendship. Grace and Frankieis both hilarious and relatable as you watch these two women pick up the pieces and explore what life after a 40-year marriage will look like for them.

The Crown

The Crown is the perfect show for Anglophiles! It begins when then Princess Elizabeth (Claire Foy) marries Phillip and becomes Queen at age 25, shortly after her father dies. The series shows the struggle Elizabeth has in assuming her role in a changing world and what it does to the family dynamics. Being a royal is a lot harder than it looks! Great story telling and acting in this show.

Call the Midwife

The BBC drama, Call the Midwife takes place in a low-income area of London in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Since the pregnant women in this community could not afford doctors or hospitals when they had babies, most relied on the midwives from Nonnatus House for their prenatal care and home deliveries. The show addresses many modern issues such as what happens when people don’t have access to medical care, abortion, incest, depression and birth control. But no matter what the situation, the midwives care for the women of their community without judgment. I love this series and all the midwives! You will too.

I LOVE Musical Theatre! And I LOVE the music of “my generation” – the 60’s and 70’s. Which is why I was so excited to attend Beautiful: The Carole King Musical when it came to Houston last week.

Carole King’s music was one track of the soundtrack of my youth, as they say. I can still envision the beautiful cover of her Grammy award winning “Tapestry” album lying on my bed as I listened to her album. That was in the day when you went to a RECORD STORE and purchased an ALBUM of the music you liked. You bought the WHOLE ALBUM and didn’t just cherry-pick a few favorites. But I digress.

The musical opens when Carole was just a teenager composing songs and trying to sell them to publishing houses. While attending Queens College, she met her writing partner and future husband Gerry Goffin.

The show takes you through the early days of their careers, the demise of their marriage and Carole finding herself as a critically acclaimed solo performer in the 1970’s.

You’ll hear all the hits Carole King is known for: So Far Away, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, It’s Too Late, and Natural Woman.

But you’ll also hear hits that King & Goffin wrote together for other artists, which may surprise you:

Up On The Roof – The Drifters

The Locomotion – Little Eva

Pleasant Valley Sunday – The Monkees

Great story. Great music. A totally enjoyable evening of musical theatre.

It all started with Shonda talking with her sister on Thanksgiving Day 2013, telling her about the invitations to the many fascinating events that she had received, to which her sister replied “You never say yes to anything.”

That statement stopped Shonda in her tracks. Her sister was right. She was busy as a single mom to three kids and at the time creator, writer and Executive Producer of two hit shows on ABC. Who had time for anything extra? Or that was what she told herself. The truth was that in spite of her success, Shonda was AFRAID. Afraid of so many things.

So she decided to take the next year and say YES to everything – things that terrified her which included giving the commencement speech at her alma mater, Dartmouth College and appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. But it wasn’t just about saying yes to these big events. It is also about things that a lot of us could afford to say yes to – taking care of our health, having difficult conversations and playing with our children.

I admit, when I picked up the book, I thought – “Great, I am going to be ‘guilted’ into adding more things to my already busy schedule”. But it wasn’t like that at all. It’s about looking at the things we say NO to and deciding if we would be better served by saying YES instead.

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